The Miami Dolphins are swapping out the No. 3 overall selection in the NFL’s 2021 Draft for the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for overall No. 12 choice, a third round choice in 2022, a first round choice in 2022 and a first round of choice in 2023 , according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
After the deal was completed, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dolphins agreed to a negotiation in which the Dolphins would return to general position 6 with the Eagles, according to Schefter. The Eagles will return to 12th overall position and acquire Miami’s choice in the first round in 2022. The Eagles also renounced choice 156 overall and acquire Miami’s choice in 123th overall position.
The 49ers are presumably taking a quarterback with the newly acquired choice. Clemson’s quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, is the big favorite to be the No. 1 overall in the Jacksonville Jaguars. The New York Jets are number 2 overall and are also potentially in the mix for a quarterback. BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance and Alabama’s Mac Jones are the other contenders to be taken in the first round. General manager John Lynch was available on Friday for Wilson’s professional day.
In moving up to 3rd place overall, the NFC West franchise is essentially saying that it feels comfortable with at least three quarterbacks in this draft class because there is a very reasonable chance that quarterbacks will be caught in the first two general choices. The situation is reminiscent of 2018, when New York was traded for third overall position a month before the draft. They knew that Cleveland would take a quarterback at No. 1 overall and the door was obviously open for the Giants to do something at No. 2 overall. The Jets ended up using that selection in USC quarterback Sam Darnold.
The chances of a quarterback being caught in each of the first three choices are very good. The race could go even further, with Atlanta potentially in fourth overall. Carolina, New England, Denver and Philadelphia stand out as other teams that could be in the market looking for help in the position.
General choice No. 102 acquired in the deal was a compensatory choice granted to San Francisco as part of the system that rewards franchises when a front-office minority or coaching candidate is hired.
Jimmy Garoppolo has been the quarterback for the 49ers since he was acquired in a Patriots exchange in October 2017. Garoppolo has lost 23 regular season games in the past three years. He has been the subject of commercial speculation this off-season and an agreement must be reached now that the team has secured an exchange.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be held in Cleveland from April 29.